Big Mile(stone)s

Updates from the Mountains

Episode #10: 2 Fast, 2 Furious, and the Ultimate Vortex

Almost 200 miles in 10 days was a choice. But here I am- past mile 1000 and enjoying my “chill” hiking time. But it wasn’t exactly chill to get here. Let me explain:

After the Hozier concert (amazing btw), Eitan and I decided to spend the night at a hostel instead of getting back on the trail. Amazing decision. We ran into a whole bunch of our trail friends there, including some we hadn’t seen in a couple of weeks :) We had a huge group dinner at an Italian restaurant in town (I finally got a cannoli) and were back on the trail the next morning.

From that first day back on trail, we did 20+ miles for 6 of the next 8 days. “Virginia is flat! It won’t be too bad” we told ourselves. It was a bit rough. We went too far too fast. I can’t speak for eitan, but as for myself, I was POOPED. On the fourth day in a row of 20+ miles, I was convinced I would have to be dragged to camp. I was sitting next to a spring along the trail and had no mental or physical energy to keep going. Alas, I did and we ended up camping at a really pretty dispersed site with a beautiful view of the sunset. Worth it. But for the next few days, I still felt residual tiredness. I also had a day when I face planted going down a mountain. No one was around to see it, which I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It was at least amusing to me.

But morale was boosted!! In the last couple weeks I’ve seen quite a few friends. Ezzie and Ava came to visit Eitan and I (s/o and extra thanks for bringing cookout), and we had a lovely time hiking and chatting with them! My body was still tired, but my mood was boosted. A few days later Kaity and Emmy came up to visit me- woohoo!! The visit was all too short, but once again my heart was full. I did a short day that day, which allowed my mind AND body to rest.

During all of this chaos, we had made it to Shenandoah National Park!! Full circle moment: I did my first real camping trip and many of my previous day hikes in Shenandoah. I love this park. Unfortunately the AT doesn’t go by many cool parts of the park, but it DOES go by a lot of campgrounds and waysides. You know what that means? FOOD. That’s right- every day or so for 5 days I was able to stop at a place in the park to grab an extra snack, a non-trail meal, or pack out a beer. Fantastic. And now I can officially say I’ve hiked the entire length of SNP!

It was also Memorial Day Weekend when we were in the park which meant a lot of day hikers, weekenders, and full shelters. I fared well, though, and even met a cool couple (“Slick”) who I got to sit and chat with twice while in the park.

Shenandoah is known for its wildlife. And boy have I had a crazy wildlife experience lately. Throughout the park, it was common for bunnies and deer to allow you to get really close or they would just walk along the trail ahead of you. During my last night in the park I saw a copperhead!! Well I didn’t initially spot it; another person at the shelter did, but he immediately pointed it out to me and was going “WOAH OH MY GOD THAT WAS SO CLOSE!” And he was right. He had almost put his hand right next to it. But don’t worry, everyone was safe and the snake was just guarding the water source.

That same night, I naively decided to ignore the warnings in the log book about a rat that lived in the shelter. At 4am I awoke to a THUD followed by a scurry and the feeling of a rat at my feet trying to get into my sleeping bag. It had literally dropped from the ceiling and tried to snuggle up with me. Naturally, my response was to wake up, kick my legs, and yell “OH HELL NO”. Needless to say the other people in the shelter won’t let me live that one down.

The next day I was shocked that I had stepped foot out of SNP without having seen a bear. But only a few miles after stepping out of the park, I saw one run across the trail!! Woohoooo! It was so cute. I want to hug a bear. It was the first bear I’ve seen on the AT so far. Bout time.

What else has happened? As always, SO much. Reading the “confessional” of trail sins at The Priest shelter, a kind stranger letting IMOM, Eitan, and me stay at his pre-paid campground site, getting caught in 2 downpour sun showers, accomplishing an official “10 by 10” (hiking 10 miles by 10am), sunrise at Mary’s Rock, a stop in Front Royal, completing the infamous “rollercoaster” section of Virginia, and befriending a fellow nature nerd at a hostel (who let me geek out about the flora of Virginia and help out in the hostel garden).

I also had to escape the ultimate vortex: Blandy Experimental Farm. That place is magical and amazing and as soon as I got there I didn’t want to leave. But I left with my heart so so full. I’m incredibly grateful for all the people there and the lovely evening I got to spend at the Quarters (including attending the weekly seminar and potluck!). That brings me to why 1000 miles is extra special:

Blandy is connected to both the “unofficial” and official 1000 mile marker of the AT. Let’s think back to the beginning of the trail. I hiked 8 miles of approach trial before I started the “real” trail, which means unofficially all of my milage could add 8 to it. The road crossing where I got off at to go to Blandy was at mile 992. Add 8 and I hiked 1000 miles to get to Blandy. That’s pretty special.

Then I passed the OFFICIAL thousand mile marker of the AT. Sure, that’s an achievement all of its own, but it means even more to me. The first time I walked by the AT 1000 mile marker was in June of 2022 while on a “nature walk” with some people from Blandy. I remember my excitement when I realized I was at a major milestone (literally) along the AT. Long story short, it was that day that the switch flipped in me and I KNEW I was going to hike the trail. Since then, I’ve hiked that short section two more times, each time marveling at the idea that people DO walk 1000 miles from Georgia to get there. And this time, I did it. It felt surreal to have walked by that sign yet again, but this time having truly walked the 1000 miles. But my journey is still going. And I hope to continue to be amazed by how far I’ve gone.

Finally, I want to remind everyone to wash their water bottles. Yes, I’m talking to you, person who has a Nalgene collecting mold. Go clean that thing. I didn’t for two weeks and things were getting concerning. Don’t be like me.